Health belt



Nov. 5, 1940. G. w. WATSON HEALTH BELT Filed Feb. 26, 1958 INVENTOR. GZenn W. #Vazaon.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a novel belt designed to aid in developing and improving the functioning of various parts of the body and also to remove fat or avoid theaccumulation thereof.

It is well known that, in exercising the body, the voluntary and conscious movements are the most beneficial. Accordingly, it is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a belt requiring, or at least inducing, such voluntary and conscious movements. In this connection, the belt has a resilient portion holding it tight on the body whether expanded or contracted, in conjunction with a visible counting mechanism operated by the cycles of expansion and contraction. The counter, in addition tokeeping a record of the number of exercises performed, adds interest to the device and is an inducement to complete the predetermined number of exercises, inasmuch as it offers a visual result.

The elastic or resilient portion of the device is in the nature of a series of parallel coil springs inserted in a cut-out part of the belt. The counter is mounted on the belt at one side of the cut-out, and its operating arm is connected by a cord to the belt at the other side of the cut-out.

A resilient member is preferably inserted in the counter actuating linkage to assure positive operation under certain varying conditions, as will presently appear.

The device is designed more particularly for use around the waist where the tendency of fat to accumulate, as well as the danger and unsightliness of the deposit, is greatest. Nevertheless, the invention is applicable for treatment of other parts of the body. In any case, it is strapped around the part to be treated, and such part is voluntarily expanded and contracted to operate the counting mechanism.

The counting mechanism is preferably of the usual constructionoperated by a lever or roller oscillating a main shaft. However, the mechanism may be operated by a clock spring released for action by a trigger device as soon as the movement is initiated, whereas the conventional con- 45 actually completed in order to operate the struction requires that the body movement be Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a detail perspective View of a modification;

Figure 6 is an end view of a modified drive for 5 the counter, and

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the belt in use.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characters employed to designate cor- 10 responding parts throughout.

In Figure 1 is shown a belt including a strap l of leather or other flexible material. At one end are provided the usual buckle 2 and loop 3, while the other end is pointed to form a tongue 4 and is perforated at 5 to receive the prong of the buckle.

The intermediate portion of the strap is cut out at 6 in the form of a rectangle, and coil springs I are mounted in this space with their ends fastened to the strap at the ends of the space. The springs, when contracted, are shorter than the space 6 so that the connecting strips 8 along the upper and lower edges of the space are buckled as shown in Figure 2 when the belt is not under tension. Within the scope of the invention, the strips 8 may be entirely dispensed with, leaving only two strap ends joined by intermediate springs.

The springs are preferably in lengthwise contact with one another or at least closely spaced. 3 In order to avoid tangling of the springs, a retaining device may be applied to the belt as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This device is in the form of a pair of plates 9 and Ill respectively at opposite sides of the belt at the center of the 5 springs and extending at least across all the springs. In the construction illustrated, the plate 9 is flanged at H so that it contacts with and provides a spacer for the opposite plate It, and the plates are secured to one another by rivets I2 passing through the strips 8. The outer plate may be ornamented if desired.

One end of the belt, preferably that near the tongue 4 has secured thereto a right-angled bracket I3, as shown more clearly in Figures '2 and 4. The arm I 4 of the bracket extending perpendicularly from the plane of the belt has mounted thereon a conventional counting mechanism l5 disposed with its axis perpendicular to the belt and its window facing upward. The operating arm it of the counter is preferably made of flat spring metal, for a purpose that will presently appear, and lies between the belt and the casing of the counter. A pull cord I? attached to the arm l6 extends along the space 6 and between the plates 9, I0 and has its free end secured tothe strap at the opposite end of the space 6.

In the contracted position of thebelt, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the arm l6 occupies the retracted position shown in Figure 1. In applying the belt to the part of the body to be treated, said part is maintained in its normal condition, neither expanded nor contracted, and the belt is tightened around it to take up the slack in the strips 8 and expand the springs 1. Assuming that the belt is strapped around the abdomen, as in Figure 7, the spring arm I6 is slightly flexed towards the front center of the abdomen. As it is of extreme importance that the arm I6 be swung to its full limit in the direction named, the flexibility of the arm permits making the cord I1 slightly shorter than actually necessary, thereby overcoming the possibility of making the cord too long, which would be inoperative, and the necessity of making it exactly the correct length, which is hardly possible. Further, the belt is often applied with less than the required tightness, or the cord I! might change in length after repeated use, and these conditions are met by the flexibility of the arm 16.

When applied to the abdomen, the belt preferably buckles at the right hip,positioning the counter at the left hip with its window facing upward so that it may readily be read by the user glancing downward. The operation of the device depends on voluntary muscular contractions and expansions by the user. In; other words, with reference to Figure '7, the user draws the abdomen inwardly, whereupon the springs 1 contract, the strips 8 become slack, and the arm [6 straightens out and is swung away from the plates 9, H] by a spring member l8 associated with the counter and preferably contained within the casing. The last described movement of the arm It, in conjunction with the opposite movement previously described, completes a cycle of operation of the counter and advances the indication one unit.

The user then distends the abdomen to return the belt and the counter to the condition first described. This process is continued, each voluntary expansion and contraction of the abdomen advancing the counter one unit. The counter is not only a record of the number of movements made by the user but, more important, is an incentive and an assurance that he will go through the number of movements previously decided upon.

The beneficial elfects of such voluntary movements of the abdomen are generally known. They strengthen the abdominal muscles, relieve constipation difliculties, prevent rupture, remove fat about the waist or prevent the accumulation thereof, stimulate the circulation of the blood and induce deep breathing.

In the modification shown in Figure 5, the support for the counter is in the form of a plate 2|] covering the width of the belt and secured thereto, the counter 2| resting on a pair of arms 22 extending perpendicularly from the plate. This is a more rigid construction than that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 and prevents the counter from being pulled out of its perpendicular relation to the belt. A lip or flange 23 at the lower edge of the plate 20 and extending outwardly therefrom avoids interference between the clothing and parts of the mechanism.

As a further modification, a small bell 24 is suspended from one of the arms 22 andis adapted to be struck by a hammer having a wire stem 25 attached to the counter arm 16'. A pin 26 depending from the base of the counter is struck by the stem 25 just before the hammer strikes the bell, whereby the bell is struck a sharp blow and the sounding is not prolonged by the continued vibration of the hammer head. Because of the sounding, the user may count audibly rather than by looking at the counter.

Figure 6 shows another modification wherein the arm or lever of the counter is replaced by a roller 30 on which is wound the cord 3| corresponding to the cord I! of Figure 1. A coil spring 32 inserted in the cord is the equivalent of the flexibility of the arm I6. In fact, in the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, the standard rigid arm may be used if a coil spring is inserted in the cord. The roller 3!] isreturned by spring l8.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion. of the human body, said belt having a resilient insert adapted to be expanded and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, said belt being continuous adjacent to said insert and from end to end thereof, said insert beingadapted to slacken the belt portion adjacent thereto, a counting mechanism carried by said belt at one side of said I insert, and actuating linkage extending from said mechanism and attached to said belt at the other side of said insert.

2. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion of the human body, said belt having a resilient insert adapted to be expanded and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, said belt being continuous adjacent to said insert and from end to end thereof, said insert being adapted to slacken the belt portion adjacent thereto, a counting mechanism carried by said belt at one side of said insert, and actuating linkage extending from said mechanism and attached to said belt at the other side of said insert, and resilient means in said linkage.

3. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion of the human body, said-belt having a resilient insert adapted to be expanded and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, said belt being continuous adjacent to said insert and from end to endthereof, said insert being adapted to slacken the belt portion adjacent thereto, a counting mechanism carried by said belt at one side of said insert and having a resilient actuating arm, and a cord extending from said arm and attached to said belt at the other side of said insert.

4. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion of the human body, said belt having a resilient insert adapted to be expanded and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, said belt being continuous adjacent to said insert and from end to end thereof, said insert being adapted to slacken the belt portion adjacent thereto, a counting and sounding mechanism carried by said belt at one side of said insert, and actuating linkage extending from said mechanism and attached to said belt at the other side of said insert.

5. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion of the human body and having a cut-out portion leaving a longitudinal strip between the ends of said belt, resilient means in said portion and attached to said belt at the ends of said portion and adapted to be expanded in strapping the belt and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, and means carried by said belt and operatively connected to said resilient means for recording the expansions and contractions of said resilient means.

6. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion of the human body and having a cut-out portion leaving a longitudinal strip between the ends of said belt, and resilient means in said portion and attached to said belt at the ends of said portion and adapted to be expanded in strapping the belt and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, a member secured to said strips and crossing said resilient means to prevent the latter from tangling, and means carried by said belt and operatively connected to said resilient means for recording the expansions and contractions of said resilient means.

7. A device of the character described comprising a belt adapted to be strapped tightly around a portion of the human body, said belt having a resilient insert adapted to be expanded in strapping the belt and contracted by voluntary movements of said portion of the body, said belt being continuous adjacent to said insert and from end to end thereof, said insert being adapted to slacken the belt portion adjacent thereto, a plate of substantial area secured to said belt in surface contact therewith, and a counting mechanism carried by said plate and operatively connected to said insert for recording the expansions and contractions of said insert.

GLENN W. WATSON. 

